An incoming telephone call is made up of many different signals. Some signals contain the audio or xe2x80x9cvoicexe2x80x9d information which allows a telephone receiver to reproduce a caller""s voice. Still other signals contain identification information which identifies the source of the incoming call. This type of information is known as CID information. This information may take the form of CID data or the like. The CID data contains, among other things, data relating to the telephone number and name of the calling party, i.e., the source of an incoming call. There exists CID devices which allow the user to xe2x80x9cautomaticallyxe2x80x9d call back the source of an incoming call using the CID data. Usually, the device will place a return call using the same telephone number embedded in the CID data. Sometimes, however, the person who originates the call prefers to be called back at a different telephone number. For example, an incoming call may originate from a central, electronic switchboard whose number is the general number of a law firm. The person receiving the call may only know one person at the law firm and also knows that the caller prefers to have her calls returned using a xe2x80x9cdirectxe2x80x9d telephone number, instead of using the general firm number. Other times, incoming calls may originate from wireless telephones though the caller may prefer calls be returned using a non-wireless telephone number. Existing CID devices do not allow for the use of a different number, a xe2x80x9cpreferredxe2x80x9d call back number; the only number which can be used to place a return call is the number embedded in the CID data, which may not be a preferred call back number.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide for communications devices, methods and programmed devices which select preferred call back numbers associated with incoming CID data in order to place return calls and the like to an original caller.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In accordance with embodiments of the present invention there are provided devices and methods for selecting preferred call back numbers associated with CID data. One embodiment comprises a communications device which comprises: a receiver or receiving means for receiving a first incoming signal comprising CID data; a selection unit or selection means for selecting a list of preferred call back numbers; and a transmission unit or transmission means for transmitting an outgoing signal comprising a first preferred call back number chosen from the list of call back numbers. The first preferred call back number may comprise a telephone, voice, facsimile, wireless device or wireless telephone number associated with an identifier in the received CID data and the identifier may comprise a communications number or a name. Likewise, the communications number may comprise a telephone, voice, facsimile, wireless device, wireless telephone number or any other number generally referred to as a xe2x80x9ctelephonexe2x80x9d number. As used hereafter, the words xe2x80x9cvoice numberxe2x80x9d will refer to a telephone number associated with an audio signal whereas the words xe2x80x9ctelephone numberxe2x80x9d will be used to refer to the wide array of signals sent using such a number to identify the source of the signal. Both a voice number and telephone number are included as communication numbers. The first preferred call back number may or may not comprise a number which is identical to a communications number embedded in the CID data.
Other embodiments comprise a display unit or means for displaying the list of preferred call back numbers, where the first preferred call back number is chosen from the displayed list of call back numbers; an input/output unit or means for inputting the list of preferred call back numbers; and a call back memory or memory means for storing the list of preferred call back numbers.
Other embodiments comprise devices where the receiver or receiving means is further adapted to receive a second incoming signal, where the second incoming signal may comprise a busy signal, answering machine pick-up signal or the like; and where the transmission unit is further adapted to transmit an outgoing signal comprising a next preferred call back number. As with the first preferred call back number, the next preferred call back number may comprise a telephone, voice, facsimile, wireless device or wireless telephone number and may or may not comprise a number which is identical to a communications number embedded in CID data. The next preferred call back number is taken from a list of preferred call back numbers which also contains the first preferred call back number.
In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention there are provided preferred methods for carrying out the invention along the lines just discussed.
In accordance with still other embodiments of the present invention, programmed devices are provided for selecting preferred call back numbers associated with CID data. These preferred devices comprise: program memory means for storing program code means, the program code means comprising: program code means for selecting a list of preferred call back numbers associated with an identifier in a first incoming signal which comprises CID data; and program code means for transmitting an outgoing signal comprising a first preferred call back number chosen from the list of preferred call back numbers. As before, the first preferred call back number may comprise a telephone, voice, facsimile, wireless device or wireless telephone number and may or may not comprise a number which is identical to a communications number embedded in the CID data. The identifier may comprise a portion of the CID data, such as a communications number or name and the communications number may comprise a telephone, voice, facsimile, wireless device or wireless telephone number.
Other embodiments comprise program code means for displaying the list of preferred call back numbers, where the first preferred call back number is chosen from the displayed list of call back numbers.
Additional embodiments include: programmed devices where the program code means for transmitting further comprises program code means for transmitting an outgoing signal comprising a next preferred call back number and where the second incoming may comprise a busy signal, an answering machine pick-up signal or the like; and programmed devices which utilize a name identifier instead of a communications number.
The present invention and its advantages can be best understood with reference to the drawings, detailed description of the preferred embodiments and claims that follow.